text:
Gods and Fighting Men, by Lady Gregory, [1904], at sacred-texts.com
AND another that went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, but that came back again, was Tadg, son of Cian, son of Olioll; and this is the way that happened.
It was one time Tadg was going his next heir's round, into the west of Munster, and his two brothers, Airnelach and Eoghan, along with him. And Cathmann, son of Tabarn, that was king of the beautiful country of Fresen that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain, was searching the sea for what he could find just at that time, and nine of his ships with him. And they landed at Beire do Bhunadas, to the west of Munster, and the country had no stir in it, and so they slipped ashore, and no one took notice of them till all were surrounded, both men and cattle. And Tadg's wife Liban, daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh of the Red Brows, and his two brothers, and a great many of the people of Munster, were taken by the foreigners and brought away to the coasts of Fresen. And Cathmann took Liban to be his own wife, and he put hardship on Tadg's two brothers; Eoghan he put to work a common ferry across a channel of the coast, and Airnelach to cut firing and to keep up fires for all people; and all the food they got was barley seed and muddy water.
And as to Tadg himself, it was only by his courage and the use of his sword he made his escape, but there was great grief and discouragement on him, his wife and his brothers to have been brought away. But he had forty of his fighting men left that had each killed a man of the foreigners, and they brought one in alive. And this man told them news of the country he came from. And when Tadg heard that, he made a plan in his own head, and he gave orders for a curragh to be built that would be fit for a long voyage. Very strong it was, and forty ox-hides on it of hard red leather, that was after being soaked in bark. And it was well fitted with masts, and oars, and pitch, and everything that was wanting. And they put every sort of meat, and drink, and of clothes in it, that would last them through the length of a year.
When all was ready, and the curragh out in the tide, Tadg said to his people: "Let us set out now on the high sea, looking for our own people that are away from us this long time."
They set out then over the stormy, heavy flood, till at last they saw no land before them or behind them, but only hillsides of the great sea. And farther on again they heard the singing of a great flock of unknown birds; and pleasant white-bellied salmon were leaping about the curragh on every side, and seals, very big and dark, were coming after them, breaking through the shining wash of the oars; and great whales after them again, so that the young men liked to be looking at them, for they were not used to see the like before.
They went on rowing through twenty days and twenty nights, and at the end of that time they got sight of a high land, having a smooth coast. And when they reached it they all landed, and they pulled up the curragh and lit their fires, and food was given out to them, and they were not long making an end of it. They made beds for themselves then on the beautiful green grass, and enjoyed their sleep till the rising of the sun on the morrow.
Tadg rose up then and put on his arms, and went out, and thirty of his men along with him, to search the whole island.
They went all through it, but they found no living thing on it, man or beast, but only flocks of sheep. And the size of the sheep was past all telling, as big as horses they were, and the whole island was filled with their wool. And there was one great flock beyond all the others, all of very big rams, and one of them was biggest of all, nine horns he had, and he charged on Tadg's chief men, attacking them and butting at them.
There was vexation on them then, and they attacked him again, and there was a struggle between them. And at the first the ram broke through five of their shields. But Tadg took his spear that there was no escape from, and made a lucky cast at the ram and killed him. And they brought the ram to the curragh and made it ready for the young men to eat, and they stopped three nights on the island, and every night it was a sheep they had for their food. And they gathered a good share of the wool and put it in the curragh because of the wonder and the beauty of it. And they found the bones of very big men on the island, but whether they died of sickness or were killed by the rams they did not know.
They left that island then and went forward till they found two strange islands where there were great flocks of wonderful birds, like blackbirds, and some of them the size of eagles or of cranes, and they red with green heads on them, and the eggs they had were blue and pure crimson. And some of the men began eating the eggs, and on the moment feathers began to grow out on them. But they went bathing after that, and the feathers dropped off them again as quick as they came.
It was the foreigner they had with them gave them the course up to this time, for he had been on the same track before. But now they went on through the length of six weeks and never saw land, and he said then, "We are astray on the great ocean that has no boundaries." Then the wind with its sharp voice began to rise, and there was a noise like the tramping of feet in the sea, and it rose up into great mountains hard to climb, and there was great fear on Tadg's people, for they had never seen the like. But he began to stir them up and to rouse them, and he bade them to meet the sea like men. "Do bravely," he said, "young men of Munster, and fight for your lives against the waves that are rising up and coming at the sides of the curragh." Tadg took one side of the curragh then and his men took the other side, and he was able to pull it round against the whole twenty-nine of them, and to bale it out and keep it dry along with that. And after a while they got a fair wind and put up their sail, the way less water came into the curragh, and then the sea went down and lay flat and calm, and there were strange birds of many shapes singing around them in every part. They saw land before them then, with a good coast, and with that courage and gladness came on them.
And when they came nearer to the land they found a beautiful inver, a river's mouth, with green hills about it, and the bottom of it sandy and as bright as silver, and red-speckled salmon in it, and pleasant woods with purple tree-tops edging the stream. "It is a beautiful country this is," said Tadg, "and it would be happy for him that would be always in it; and let you pull up the ship now," he said, "and dry it out."
A score of them went forward then into the country, and a score stopped to mind the curragh. And for all the cold and discouragement and bad weather they had gone through, they felt no wish at all for food or for fire, but the sweet smell of the crimson branches in the place they were come to satisfied them. They went on through the wood, and after a while they came to an apple garden having red apples in it, and leafy oak-trees, and hazels yellow with nuts. "It is a wonder to me," said Tadg, "to find summer here, and it winter time in our own country."
It was a delightful place they were in, but they went on into another wood, very sweet smelling, and round purple berries in it, every one of them bigger than a man's head, and beautiful shining birds eating the berries, strange birds they were, having white bodies and purple heads and golden beaks. And while they were eating the berries they were singing sweet music, that would have put sick men and wounded men into their sleep.
Tadg and his men went farther on again till they came to a great smooth flowery plain with a dew of honey over it, and three steep hills on the plain, having a very strong dun on every one of them. And when they got to the nearest bill they found a white-bodied woman, the best of the women of the whole world, and it is what she said: "Your coming is welcome, Tadg, son of Cian, and there will be food and provision for you as you want it."
'I am glad of that welcome," said Tadg; "and tell me now, woman of sweet words," he said, "what is that royal dun on the hill, having walls of white marble around it?" "That is the dun of the royal hue of the kings of Ireland, from Heremon, son of Miled, to Conn of the Hundred Battles, that was the last to go into it." What is the name of this country?" Tadg said then. "It is Inislocha, the Lake Island," she said, "and there are two kings over it, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb." And then she told Tadg the whole story of Ireland, to the time of the coming of the Sons of the Gad. "That is well," said Tadg then, "and you have good knowledge and learning. And tell me now," he said, "who is living in that middle dun that has the colour of gold?" "It is not myself will tell you that," she said, "but go on to it yourself and you will get knowledge of it." And with that she went from them into the dun of white marble.
Tadg and his men went on then till they came to the middle dun, and there they found a queen of beautiful shape, and she wearing a golden dress. "Health to you, Tadg," she said. "I thank you for that," said Tadg. "It is a long time your coming on this journey was foretold," she said. "What is your name?" he asked then. "I am Cesair," she said, "the first that ever reached Ireland. But since I and the men that were with me came out of that dark, unquiet land, we are living for ever in this country."
"Tell me, woman," said Tadg, "who is it lives in the dun having a wall of gold about it?" "It is not hard to tell that," she said, "every king, and every chief man, and every noble person that was in a high place of all those that had power in Ireland, it is in that dun beyond they are; Parthalon and Nemed, Firbolgs and Tuatha de Danaan." "It is good knowledge and learning you have," said Tadg. "Indeed I have good knowledge of the history of the world," she said, "and this island," she said, "is the fourth paradise of the world; and as to the others, they are Inis Daleb to the south, and Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's Paradise in the east of the world." "Who is there living in that dun with the silver walls?" said Tadg then. "I will not tell you that, although I have knowledge of it," said the woman; "but go to that beautiful hill where it is, and you will get knowledge of it."
They went on then to the third hill, and on the top of the hill was a very beautiful resting-place, and two sweethearts there, a boy and a girl, comely and gentle. Smooth hair they had, shining like gold, and beautiful green clothes of the one sort, and any one would think them to have had the same father and mother. Gold chains they had around their necks, and bands of gold above those again. And Tadg spoke to them: "O bright, comely children," he said, "it is a pleasant place you have here." And they answered him back, and they were praising his courage and his strength and his wisdom, and they gave him their blessing.
And it is how the young man was, he had a sweet-smelling apple, having the colour of gold, in his hand, and he would eat a third part of it, and with all he would eat, it would never be less. And that was the food that nourished the two of them, and neither age or sorrow could touch them when once they had tasted it.
"Who are you yourself?" Tadg asked him then. "I am son to Conn of the Hundred Battles," he said. "Is it Connia you are?" said Tadg. "I am indeed," said the young man, "and it is this girl of many shapes that brought me here." And the girl said: "I have given him my love and my affection, and it is because of that I brought him to this place, the way we might be looking at one another for ever, and beyond that we have never gone."
"That is a beautiful thing and a strange thing," said Tadg, "and a thing to wonder at. And who is there in that grand dun with the silver walls?" he said. "There is no one at all in it," said the girl. "What is the reason of that?" said Tadg. "It is for the kings that are to rule Ireland yet," she said; "and there will be a place in it for yourself, Tadg. And come now," she said, "till you see it."
The lovers went on to the dun, and it is hardly the green grass was bent under their white feet. And Tadg and his people went along with them.
They came then to the great wonderful house that was ready for the company of the kings; it is a pleasant house that was, and any one would like to be in it. Walls of white bronze it had, set with crystal and with carbuncles, that were shining through the night as well as through the day.
Tadg looked out from the house then, and he saw to one side of him a great sheltering apple-tree, and blossoms and ripe fruit on it. "What is that apple tree beyond?" said Tadg. "It is the fruit of that tree is food for the host in this house," said the woman. "And it was an apple of that apple-tree brought Connla here to me; a good tree it is, with its white-blossomed branches, and its golden apples that would satisfy the whole house."
And then Connla and the young girl left them, and they saw coming towards them a troop of beautiful women. And there was one among them was most beautiful of all, and when she was come to them she said: "A welcome to you, Tadg." "I thank you for that welcome," said Tadg; "and tell me," he said, "who are you yourself?" "I am Cliodna of the Fair Hair," she said, "daughter of Gebann, son of Treon, of the Tuatha de Danaan, a sweetheart of Ciabhan of the Curling Hair, and it is from me Cliodna's wave on the coast of Munster got its name; and I am a long time now in this island, and it is the apples of that tree you saw that we use for food." And Tadg was well pleased to be listening to her talk, but after a while he said: "It is best for us to go on now to look for our people." We will be well pleased if you stop longer with us," said the woman.
And while she was saying those words they saw three beautiful birds coming to them, one of them blue and his head crimson, and one crimson and his head green, and the third was speckled and his head the colour of gold, and they lit on the great apple-tree, and every bird of them ate an apple, and they sang sweet music then, that would put sick men into their sleep.
"Those birds will go with you," Cliodna said then; "they will give you guidance on your way, and they will make music for you, and there will be neither sorrow or sadness on you, by land or by sea, till you come to Ireland. And bring away this beautiful green cup with you," she said, "for there is power in it, and if you do but pour water into it, it will be turned to wine on the moment. And do not let it out of your hand," she said, "but keep it with you; for at whatever time it will escape from you, your death will not be far away. And it is where you will meet your death, in the green valley at the side of the Boinn; and it is a wandering wild deer will give you a wound, and after that, it is strangers will put an end to you. And I myself will bury your body, and there will be a hill over it, and the name it will get is Croidhe Essu."
They went out of the shining house then, and Cliodna of the Fair Hair went with them to the place they had left their ship, and she bade their comrades a kindly welcome; and she asked them bow long had they been in that country. "It seems to us," they said, "we are not in it but one day only." "You are in it through the whole length of a year," said she, "and through all that time you used neither food nor drink. But however long you would stop here," she said, "cold or hunger would never come on you." "It would be a good thing to live this way always," said Tadg's people when they heard that. But he himself said: "It is best for us to go on and to look for our people. And we must leave this county, although it is displeasing to us to leave it."
Then Cliodna and Tadg bade farewell to one another, and she gave her blessing to him and to his people. And they set out then over the ridges of the sea; and they were downhearted after leaving that county until the birds began to sing for them, and then their courage rose up, and they were glad and light-hearted.
And when they looked back they could not see the island they had come from, because of a Druid mist that came on it and hid it from them.
Then by the leading of the birds they came to the county of Fresen, and they were in a deep sleep through the whole voyage. And then they attacked the foreigners and got the better of them, and Tadg killed Cathmann, the king, after a hard fight; and Liban his wife made no delay, and came to meet her husband and her sweetheart, and it is glad she was to see him.
And after they had rested a while they faced the sea again, and Tadg and his wife Liban, and his two brothers, and a great many other treasures along with them, and they came home to Ireland safely at the last.


text:
Convert 1 AFN to BSD Afghani Bahamian Dollar Live Exchange Rates
Pricemint Currency Converter
Note – This rate is subject to change depending on the market conditions. PriceMint's currency converter provides mid-market rates for information purposes only. Actual exchange rates may vary during money transfers. Verify rates with your financial institution before making transactions.
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Convert 1 AFN to BSD Introduction: Are you looking to convert your Afghan Afghani Afghanistan Currency 1 AFN to BSD Bahamian Dollar? Whether you're planning a trip to the Bahamas, making an international purchase, or simply monitoring currency exchange rates, converting 1 AFN to BSD accurately and efficiently is crucial. With our Currency Converter services, you can seamlessly convert your 1 AFN to BSD.
What is the Current Exchange Rate for 1 AFN to BSD?
The Bahamian Dollar is the official currency of Bahamas. The Bahamian Dollar symbol is B$. The exchange rate between the two currencies is determined by the demand and supply of each currency in the foreign exchange market.
The current exchange rate of 1 AFN to BSD is important for those who are traveling to the Bahamas or sending money from Afghanistan to the Bahamas. It is also important for those who are importing or exporting goods between the two countries.
It is important to keep an eye on the exchange rate between 1 AFN to BSD as it can fluctuate quickly and significantly. This can have a major impact on the cost of goods or services that are purchased in either currency.
It is also important to remember that the exchange rate can vary depending on the financial institution or provider you are using.
The Bahamian Dollar Currency Information
Bahamian Dollar Information | Overview |
Currency Name | Bahamian Dollar |
Currency Code | BSD |
Symbol | B$ |
Country | Bahamas |
Exchange Rate | Subject to market fluctuations |
How to Easily Convert 1 AFN to BSD?
Converting Afghan Afghani (AFN) to Bahamian Dollar BSD is a relatively simple process. Whether you're a traveler looking to exchange currency for a trip abroad, or a business owner looking to convert large amounts of money, there are several easy methods to convert 1 AFN to BSD.
The simplest way to convert 1 AFN to BSD is to use an online currency converter. There are many websites that offer currency conversion services, such as pricemint.in OR Google. All you need to do is enter the amount of your currency you want to convert, and the website will automatically calculate the BSD equivalent.
If you're traveling abroad, you can also exchange Afghan Afghani Currency (AFN) for BSD at a currency exchange kiosk. These kiosks are available at airports and other locations, and they offer competitive rates. However, you may need to pay a service fee or commission to use the kiosk.
Finally, if you're looking to convert large amounts of money, you can use a bank or money transfer service. These services typically offer the best exchange rates, but they may also require you to pay a fee.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Crowdfunding Push by Space Science Funding Start-Up Uwingu Enters Final Days
With government funding for science and spaceflight waning these days, a new start-up hopes to fill the gap by providing private funding for spaceflight, space research and education. Only five days remain in an online campaign to raise seed money for the company, called Uwingu ("sky" in Swahili).
Uwingu was founded by astronomers, planetary scientists, former space program executives, and educators with the goal of creating a new channel for funding space projects. The start-up is headed by Alan Stern, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute and the former associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
The firm announced recently that its first large donation will go to the Allen Telescope Array operated by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). The array is a collection of 42 radio dishes in Northern California built to scan the skies for extraterrestrial signals.
Uwingu aims to raise money through private donations, as well as through sales of to-be-announced products on its website.
"We're planning a series of projects at www.uwingu.com that will earn revenue to create a new, private sector funding stream of millions or even tens of millions of dollars annually for space projects of all kinds," company officials said in an update.
An initial campaign is underway at the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo to raise money for Uwingu's start-up costs. The drive had raised $39,929 of its $75,000 goal as of press time. The campaign is due to expire Friday (Sept. 14) at 11:59 p.m. PDT (2:59 a.m. EDT Saturday), at which point Uwingu will get to keep all donations raised so far.
"According to IndieGoGo, most crowdfunding campaigns see a steep uptick in their final days, so we're optimistic we'll meet our goal," Uwingu officials wrote.
You can check out the project and make donations here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/180221?c=home&a=904032
This story was provided by SPACE.com, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
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Most Popular
By Harry Baker
By Ben Turner


text:
Tim, is an up-and-coming executive who has just received his first invitation to the "dinner for idiots," a monthly event hosted by his boss that promises bragging rights to the exec that shows up with the biggest buffoon. Tim's fiancee, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry–an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas–and quickly realizes he's struck idiot gold. Tim can't resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim's life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim's life and driving Julie into the arms of another man. (Source)
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text:
Commission refers Poland to the Court of Justice over air traffic rights
The European Commission has decided to refer Poland to the European Union's Court of Justice for failing to adopt transparent and non-discriminatory procedures for allocating air traffic rights.
The EU rules
Regulation 847/2004 imposes certain obligations on Member States in order to ensure that transparent and non-discriminatory national procedures exist for the allocation of limited air traffic rights ( 1 ).
The reason for today's action
Poland still has not laid down such a procedure although the regulation was adopted more than seven years ago. Until now, several letters were sent to the Polish authorities from the Commission, including a reasoned opinion sent in January 2011. Poland is one of the very last EU Member States without any rules regarding the allocation of limited traffic rights.
The practical effect of non-implementation
The absence of such a procedure in Poland prevents an EU air carrier coming from another Member State from competing for traffic rights between Poland and third countries. This causes a potential exclusion of other EU air carriers desiring to operate in Poland and infringes the basic rules of the aviation common market.
1 :
These procedures shall apply in cases where more than one air carrier wishes to use air traffic rights which are limited under an air traffic agreement, and where the extent of the rights does not allow all the interested parties to operate air traffic services.
Source: European Commission


text:
About this Task Force
The Web & TV Testing Task Force is part of the Web & TV Interest Group. The Task Force is responsible for developing testing requirements specific to Web & TV applications. The focus is expected to be on HTML5 and associated specifications. The Task Force will work with the Web Testing Interest Group and other relevant W3C groups to ensure that Web & TV requirements are met by the W3C testing framework.
Over the last couple of years, much work has been done to provide HTML5 with the features necessary to support commercial video. Adaptive bit-rate video formats, protected content and features required by commercial video regulation have all been developed to support common means of providing commercial video using standard interfaces. Being able to reliably test these new features is a necessary step towards ensuring high-quality implementations that run correctly and consistently on HTML5 browsers. The W3C has recognized the need for testing to encourage consistent and reliable implementation of HTML5-compliant browsers. The Web & TV Testing Task Force will work with other testing efforts in W3C to make sure the W3C tests are rich enough to support Web & TV use cases.
The Web & TV Testing task force will do the following:
- Collect Web & TV testing use cases (e.g. "Testing a browser embedded in a commercial TV" or "use of W3C tests by third-party certification organizations").
- List requirements for W3C test tool features to achieve the use cases (e.g. "ability to test embedded browsers").
- List prioritized requirements for W3C specification test coverage to achieve the use cases (e.g. HTML5, Media Source Extensions).
- Identify gaps in the current test tools.
- Identify gaps in the current test coverage.
- List features important to Web & TV members and classify them in terms of testing priority.
- Work with the Web Testing IG, Browser Testing and Tools WG, HTML Testing TF and other relevant W3C groups to communicate the requirements and develop a strategy to fill the identified gaps.
- Liaison with external organizations to inform them about the ongoing activities and gather input on the use cases and requirements.
This dashboard will be used to provide timely and relevant information on the work of the Web & TV Testing task force.
Use Cases
Please bear in mind that text should be used whenever possible (instead of email attachements) for indexation purposes.
- Use Cases & Open/Closed Issues : a page to upload or link your contribution to be discussed with other IG members.
Tentative Requirements
- Test Coverage and Priorities
- Examine existing tools (e.g. Modernizr)
- Surveys of major web sites for issues
- Workshops
- Consider external organizations (DLNA, OIPF, etc. (see below))
- Central Test Runner
- One URL as central location for all tests
- One click to run all tests
- Clear results summarizing top pass/fail results
- Detailed pass/fail results for individual tests
- Test configuration options
- Certifiable test logs
- Device Tests
- Remote testing
- Differences for products vs. prototypes?
- Requirements from Use Cases
- Standardized APIs for test hooks
- An ecosystem (web sites, workshops, etc.) to get feedback from the community on bugs, priorities, features, etc.
- Provide one home for all W3C tests
- Performance measurement
- Time to start a stream
- Average frame rate
- Maybe defined "acceptable" bound, but the measure is most important because different applications will require different performance.
- Management of testing with various codecs and encoding schemes (e.g. adaptive bit rate)
- Management of testing with various externally provided CDM implementations
- Ensure testing can be performed with EME implementation in JavaScript
- Interface and testing to override cross-origin restrictions for specific devices and services authorized by the user
- Testing security of discovery process (e.g. user must specifically authorize access to each device)
- Synchronization of streams in MSE (e.g. works with ad insertion or concatenation of programs in continuous stream)
- Network impairment/feedback mechanism to force MSE adaptive bit-rate implementations to change bit rate.
- Test cases in support of EME
- The same CDM across two different browsers yields the same result.
- Two different CDMs can decrypt the same stream
Survey on testing priorities
External groups (listed below) and IG members have been asked to complete a Feature Coverage Table
External Groups
In order to get feedback on testing priorities from various organizations in the TV industry, we send out a survey asking about testing priorities. Below is a list of external organizations we have reached out, inline the status of the reply to our liaison letter. Note that the list has been built based on members input on which organizations to reach out.
- response received, FWDed to the member list
- https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/member-web-and-tv/2013Jun/0004.html
- response received, FWDed to the public list
- http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-web-and-tv/2013Jun/0076.html
- declined, do not have the right resources to provide W3C with quality guidance on testing priorities.
- acknowledged, awaiting reply
- HbbTV
- not ready for this round, will send some priorities later this year.
- SmartTV Alliance
- response received, FWDed to the public list
- http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-web-and-tv/2013May/0018.html
- response received FWDed to the public list
- http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-web-and-tv/2013Jun/0078.html
- MMT Group (in MPEG)
- acknowledged, awaiting reply
- IPTV Forum Japan
- response received, FWDed to the member list
- https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/member-web-and-tv/2013May/0003.html
- response received FWDed to the public list
- http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-web-and-tv/2013Jul/0042.html
Survey Results
The detailed results from the survey are hosted on the member wiki and are MEMBER CONFIDENTIAL
An aggregated version on the results is available also on this public wiki
Other Relevant W3C activities
This is a list of groups/activities that may be related to the TF work. Note that this list doesn't imply any endorsement of the linked technologies or official liaison with the linked group.
- Test Framework Task Force
- Test Management Task Force
- Resource Center Task Force : Contribute requirements here. Provide a prioritized table by topic.
- Common Mobile/TV specification list
- Mobile/TV differences
Specification Proposals
- Clarke Stevens, CableLabs (moderator) firstname.lastname@example.com
- Mark Vickers, Comcast
- Giuseppe Pascale, Opera
- Yosuke Funahashi, Tomo-Digi
- Kaz Ashimura, W3C
- Bob Lund, CableLabs
- Sheau Ng, Comcast/NBCU
- Bin Hu, AT&T
- Daniel Davis, W3C
- [add your name here if you wish to participate in this TF]
Discussion & Calls
- This TF primarily conducts its work on the public mailing list at firstname.lastname@example.com (archive) by prefixing the email subject with the TF identifier [testing].
- General Info (bridge, schedule, IRC etc)
- Agenda Telco 6th of March 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 27th of March 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 3rd of April 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 10th of April 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 17th of April 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 24th of April 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 8th of May 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 5th of June 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 19th of June 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 31st of July 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 14th of August 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 28th of August 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 11th of September 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 9th of October 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 23rd of October 2013 (minutes)
- Agenda Telco 6th of November 2013 (minutes)


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The pace of change for Information Technology is challenging established notions of "What is IT?" and "What is Information Security in the modern age?" For one example, the "new" data center technologies such as virtualization, Software-Defined Networking (SDN), service-oriented delivery models, and cloud computing have radically changed the typical IT infrastructure from a defined set of assets owned and controlled by the organization to a constantly fluctuating roster of resources that can come and go from IT department visibility and control.
[Enterprise defenses lag despite rising cybersecurity awareness]
As this has occurred, we have witnessed the equivalent of a Cambrian Explosion of new Internet-connected life forms - mobile devices, tablets, sensors, actuators, home appliances, monitoring systems, content access devices, and wireless terminals. Applications running on these devices range from recreation to services critical to the functioning of our social and economic infrastructure. Put it all together, and we expect that world population of Internet-connected devices will grow from today's 10 billion to over 50 billion by the year 2020.
From a security point of view, these IT changes, including the expansion of Internet-connected devices, lead to a corresponding increase in attack surface. Instead of the mission of protecting a reasonably known and enclosed IT perimeter, we now must be ready to secure any connected device humans can make against any threat a hacker can innovate. Clearly, using established security practices, except on a larger scale, will not suffice.
Plainly said, we need to think differently about cybersecurity.
One classic strategy and two new ones
The aspects I just quickly described may sound overwhelming, but I remain optimistic, however, that methods exist to contain damage to assets, processes, and people that make use of information technology. Ironically, what is old is new again for some of this, and then there are just plain new ways to approach. Of the many to surface, I'd like to talk about three in particular.
Do the basics and do them well
This includes taking a diligent approach to software patching, user identity management, network management, and eliminating any dark space in your infrastructure. The main objectives in this endeavor include reducing attack surfaces available to adversaries and basing resource access policies on need-to-know/need-to-use principles. Even just getting better at patching can reduce available attack surface by 70 percent. Organizations that perform thorough asset inventories are often surprised by how many previously undocumented systems they discover connected to their network.
[Security training is lacking: Here are tips on how to do it better]
This do-the-basics strategy might sound commonplace, but it can be quite demanding when one takes into account the diversity and sheer numbers of devices and systems that today's IT operations must secure. A sophisticated identity management program that brings together the latest strong password, federated identity, privilege management and anomalous behavior detection technologies would not have been possible a few short years ago, but it can go far in improving the ability of security teams to prevent, see, and contain security incidents.
Strive to spread doubt and confusion in the adversary's mind
There are plenty of ways to do this. You can start by making your infrastructure a moving target by changing addresses, infrastructure topologies, and available resources daily. An activist approach to virtualization makes it possible to build up and tear down resources at will. SDN technology can virtualize the deception process while streamlining the process of building security management and control features into the network fabric. In short, do what you can to prevent the adversary from seeing the same infrastructure twice.
You can also set up honey pots and Potemkin villages on your network that can waste the adversaries' time, divert them from real assets, lead them to tainted intellectual property, or cause them to stumble into alarms that announce their presence in your domain. At their most advanced, these techniques can shake adversaries' confidence in their hacking prowess and increase their anxiety over being caught, exposed and prosecuted.
Collect, correlate, and analyze as much operational data as you can
This strategy is significant as it signals a shift in the remediation mode to detecting and defeating attacks and intrusions quickly and thoroughly when they do occur. In the data, you are looking for Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) -- anomalous device or user behavior, network traffic to and from known addresses, and other tip-offs. Data subject to analysis can include local telemetry from your infrastructure, information and intelligence from beyond your infrastructure, or data traffic that doesn't conform to normal patterns of activity.
Changing your mental approach is just as essential
This new approach to security carries with it a not-trivial change in our mental approach for security. Formerly, we thought of security as defending perimeters and hardening assets against attack. The new model calls for assuming that if people, things, and business processes haven't been compromised, they will be shortly. Established security tools and products like firewalls, security appliances, or anti-malware software do a good job of blocking known threats and leave us freer to detect, recognize, and contain those threats that manage to slip through basic defenses.
[The U.S. state of cybercrime takes another step back]
Increasingly, we have come to understand that the most dangerous threats do their work quietly and quickly, and then disappear. A threat of this kind will typically wreak its damage in minutes, hours or days. By contrast, too many security teams require days, weeks, or months to discover and remediate an intrusive threat of this kind. That's not good enough.
We also need accountability shifts, a measure by which to define efficacy, and a willingness to "break some glass" to change what we have...otherwise, we continue to get more of what we have today, and that isn't acceptable.
The strategies recommended in this article do three things to make adversaries' life more difficult:
- Shrink attack surfaces and vulnerabilities through the basics
- Shift the burdens of fear, uncertainty, and doubt onto the bad actors
- Reduce latencies between the moment a threat lodges in an infrastructure, its detection, and its disposal
While we have a challenging road ahead to secure IT-enabled social and economic processes from deliberate harm, new technologies, network intelligence, and new ways of thinking about cybersecurity itself give us a fighting chance.
John N. Stewart is the CSO of Cisco Systems, Inc.


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Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BERLIN (AP) — German researchers said Thursday they have developed the first diagnostic test for a new virus that has emerged in central China.
The virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year and cases have since been reported in Thailand and Japan. Dozens of people in China have been sickened by it and one person with severe underlying conditions has died.
Dr. Christian Drosten, the director of the Institute for Virology at Berlin's Charite hospital, said the test developed by his team will allow labs to reliably diagnose the so-called novel coronavirus "in a very short period of time."
The test protocol is being made available through the World Health Organization, and laboratories can order a molecule from the German team to compare patient samples with a positive control, he said.
"We have just started receiving orders and are now starting to post the molecule," Drosten told The Associated Press.
So far, doctors have only been able to perform a general virus test and then had to sequence and interpret the genome, said Drosten. Large, well-equipped public laboratories are able to do this but smaller labs would struggle to do so, he added.
"We're more concerned about labs in countries where it's not that easy to transport samples or staff aren't trained that thoroughly, or if there is a large number of patients who have to be tested," said Drosten, citing the epidemic of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed hundreds in 2002 and 2003.
Drosten, who was one of the co-discoverers of SARS, said the two viruses are so closely related that laboratories which have control samples for SARS in stock can use it to diagnose the new virus, cutting the time required to create a functioning test.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The non-profit Ghana Together has been repairing and deploying donated XOs in Axim, Ghana for years – now providing over 50 XOs in their Children's Home. They and work with local techs and a student repair center at the Arts and Technology High School in Marysville, WA. They recently wrote about helping a nearby school that suddenly received XOs.
"What about Those One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Computers?"
In 2011 the Methodist School was suddenly given 30 OLPCs from the government of Ghana.. .They thought they looked liked toys, not realizing that they are actually very sophisticated "learning machines†for primary school children. The headmistress found out that I was coming to Axim, and asked me to come and do an impromptu two-hour workshop.
Consequently, two teachers worked with me to test and update laptops. I engaged Peter Asuah, one of the original WHH scholars, to help test all the OLPCs, chargers, etc. I left a very complete manual… These guys are computer sophisticated, and I'm sure they will do a good job orienting the children.
Since the machines are designed to be "self-exploratoryâ€, it's been my experience that once children understand the basic way the computer functions, they do very well on their own. In fact, this hands-on, exploration approach is perfect for these children, because they have been so immersed in rote learning from blackboard and exercise books. The science teachers told me they are trying to get away from that kind of teaching, but up to now, they didn't have materials to work with… now they have materials and machines.Later in my visit, when the science teachers came up for the brainstorming session, I spent the first hour on another impromptu workshop, introducing them to the basic workings of the OLPC. They were fascinated…
Meanwhile, if anyone reading this has an OLPC you'd like to donate, we'd like to have it, in working condition or not. The Marysville Club is very skilled — they repair them, or if need be cannibalize them.
Read the full post on the Ghana Together blog.


text: In the last and the best installment of his so-called "Man With No Name" trilogy of Sergio Leone-directed "spaghetti westerns," Clint Eastwood reprised the role of a taciturn, enigmatic loner. Here he searches for a cache of stolen gold against rivals the Bad (Lee Van Cleef), a ruthless bounty hunter, and the Ugly (Eli Wallach), a Mexican bandit. Though dubbed "the Good," Eastwood's character is not much better than his opponents -- he is just smarter and shoots faster. The film's title reveals its ironic attitude toward the canonized heroes of the classical western. "The real West was the world of violence, fear, and brutal instincts," claimed Leone. "In pursuit of profit there is no such thing as good and evil, generosity or deviousness; everything depends on chance, and not the best wins but the luckiest." Immensely entertaining and beautifully shot in Techniscope by Tonino Delli Colli, the movie is a virtually definitive "spaghetti western," rivaled only by Leone's own Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). The main musical theme by Ennio Morricone hit #1 on the British pop charts. Originally released in Italy at 177 minutes, the movie was later cut for its international release.


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Hello :)
Oooolala, look at this gorgeous little petal from Stamping Bell. Her name is Bessie Lulu and she is a digital image.
I love soooooooo many of the Stamping Bella rubber stamps but I have to save my pennies for my trip to America in November so my desire for some rubber will have to wait :(
She's such a delicate little petal I chose to colour her in soft pastels, using Copic Markers and Polchromos Pencils.
Skin - E000, 00, 01, 11, 93. Eyes - Brown 179 pencil. Hair - E41, 42, 43, Brown Ochre 182 pencil,
Dress - C1, 2, 4, RV52, 63,. Flowers - RV52, 63, 55, C2, Cold Grey V 234, Warm GreyII 271, Stem - Pine Green 267 pencil, Shadows - BV20.
The sentiment is a digital image from Make it Crafty.
Thanks for spending some time in my Happy Place


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Pa. school asks students to cut back on body spray
An eastern Pennsylvania high school wants its students to cut back on the body spray.
Freedom High School in Bethlehem says one of its students was recently hospitalized for exposure to Axe Body Spray. Now, officials are asking students to stop using it as a cologne or fragrance while attending the school.
In a statement posted on the school website, officials say the affected student is severely allergic to the spray and recently had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance after being exposed.
It isn't clear what type of reaction the student had, or what chemical in the spray may have caused the problem.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.


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Last Friday, as his brainchild company went public, Mark Zuckerberg's face filled the multistory video screen adorning the Times Square Reuters building, his image a grinning, pasty vision of triumph—little brother as Big Brother.
In the 30 seconds after the bell rang at the NASDAQ exchange, more than 80 million shares were traded, and with the IPO (really the night before, when the underwriting banks bought the stock from Facebook (META)), Mr. Zuckerberg made $25 B.
But he wasn't making any money off me.
I joined Facebook in 2007, back when you still had to identify your school to become a member. Carefully curated pics were promptly uploaded to my profile, and soon I was scrutinizing my future college classmates, accepting friend requests with bright-eyed, bushy-tailed pride. I was never really addicted to Facebook, but for several years I would log-on at least once daily, friend-ing old summer camp acquaintances and lustfully stalking sweet Laxers (look it up).
After a while, however, I found posting and viewing Spring break beach shots (cellulite airbrushed out, cleavage brushed in) vaguely vulgar. The entire site seemed to be based around a strange, self-branding tango of exhibitionism and voyeurism. Still, I maintained my account to keep in touch with friends, to make sure my little sister didn't post any photos she would live to regret, and to participate in the enduring who-looked-hot/not dialogue with my peers.
Initially, I was even excited by the sharp-shot targeted ads. "Ee-gadz! I do want to check out that conflict-free diamond tennis bracelet, I do want to support Prop 19 and I do want to invest in blue-light acne treatment!" I found myself cooing over and over again. But after a while, Facebook's apparent telepathy had me jittery. I was a 20-something, prep-school educated Californian with a hazily expressed penchant for all things acceptably unorthodox, and Mark Zuckerberg and his army of youthful-genius programmers had successfully pigeonholed me. I found myself fitting perfectly into the Facebook algorithm (or rather, it fitting perfectly into me), and no number of Grateful Dead dancing bear T-shirts could counterbalance it.
My attitude toward the site had already generally soured when I heard last February that Facebook was going public, but within a week of the news, I deactivated, permanently, and I'll tell you why.
Aside from Facebook's use of my clicking habits and social network connections to tailor ads, I had another unsettling realization. Facebook is a service and a product to its users. But they pay nothing to use it, and there is no native revenue stream. The value of the company—its main asset, to itself any and potential business partners—is the users themselves, and access to them and their information. What they were planning to sell shares of was me. It was you.


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Cannot send mail with the Secure Ad Hoc Transfer (SAT) module.
Most of the time, if the sendmail.aspx page does not appear or you receive an error message when you first install the SAT module, the SAT module has not been configured properly. The table below lists common situations and probable resolutions.
"Configuration Error Found"
A variety of problems can cause SAT to be unable to connect to EFT Server. A common problem is that incorrect values were chosen during installation (e.g., the wrong IP address or port number was provided) or IIS, .NET, and SAT were not installed in that order (in which case you will need to re-register IIS with .NET by running the ASP.NET registration tool). If you receive this error, verify the values supplied for configuration variables in the web.config file are correct. For example, perhaps when you installed the SAT module, you provided "localhost" as the IP address, but the EFT Server is on a remote computer. You should edit the configuration file to specify the correct IP address. (You can edit the file from within IIS, as described in the help topic.)
"The current identity (NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE) does not have write access to <framework directory>."
This error can occur on a Windows 2003 computer when Microsoft .NET 3.5 is installed BEFORE Microsoft IIS is installed. If this occurs, simply provide the network service with write access to the framework directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5).
Refer to Ad Hoc Properties Missing ASP.NET Tab for the procedure for registering ASP.NET, which often fixes the problem.
Failed to Access IIS Metabase
On operating systems before Windows 2008, this error indicates that the .NET Framework is not registered with IIS. The .NET Framework detects which versions of IIS exist when the .NET Framework is installed, and it automatically registers itself with IIS. If IIS does not exist when .NET Framework is installed, the .NET Framework is not registered with IIS. Reinstalling IIS after the .NET Framework has been installed does not help.
If you receive this error, run the ASP.NET IIS Registration Tool, a program that comes packaged with the .Net Framework, to register it with IIS. Refer to AdHoc Properties Missing ASP.NET Tab for details.
You are unable to transfer files larger than 30 MB.
If you expect to upload files 1 GB or larger, we strongly recommend that you install EFT Server on the same computer as IIS and edit the value for UploadProtocol in the Secure Ad Hoc Transfer's Configuration File. Also see Overriding IIS's Maximum Transfer Limit.
The Configure IIS page of the installer does not display the available IIS Web Sites
To make the SAT module work with Microsoft IIS 7, you will need to edit some settings in Windows 2008/IIS and SAT's configuration file. Refer to the KB article#10510 - FIX: Secure Ad Hoc Transfer errors with Microsoft IIS 7 for details.
You receive a 50x error after the installer is finished and the EFTAdhoc (sendmail.apx) page is launched.
Using SAT 2.0 on 64-Bit operating systems
The SAT module can be installed on Windows Server 64-bit OS; however, you must first enable 32-bit applications to run on the system.
Using the the SAT module with IIS 7.0
In order to install SAT 2.0 correctly with IIS 7.0 you will need to enable (select) several IIS features. On operating systems other than Windows 2008, you will need to install .NET Framework 3.5 AFTER these features are enabled. Refer to BEFORE Installing the SAT Module with IIS 7.0 for details.
Using SAT with Active Directory
The SAT module can work with Active Directory (AD) authentication, after you edit some settings in the configuration file and specify an alternate form of authentication in IIS.
"Unexpected Error 0x8ffe2740 Occurred" Error Message When You Try to Start EFT Server
Microsoft IIS uses port 80 for HTTP communication. If you are running the IIS FTP server and EFT Server on the same computer, you can do any of the following:
In IIS Manager, change the port bindings for the Web site to a port other than port 80.
Stop the application that is using port 80, and then start the Web site from IIS Manager.
Change EFT Server's HTTP port and then reset IIS (or the other application binding that port) to port 80 if IIS (or the other application) takes precedence over EFT Server. For more information, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base article #816944.


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Posted by Editoress on 09/23/14
The FINAL Entry Deadline for the Fall Epic 8 Hour is Wednesday Sept 24th at midnight. There is no day-of entry.
Get full race info and Enter On-Line via www.epic8hour.ca
Fall Epic 8 Hour presented by Specialized, will take place on Saturday Sept 27th at Hardwood Ski and Bike. This years' course has been getting rave reviews by those pre-riding, with 4 km of new trail added over the summer.
Enjoy this event at the best time of year to ride. Trails are in great shape, the long range weather forecast is fantastic, and the trees are really starting to turn for beautiful fall colours.
The Epic 8 Hour Relay is all about the camaraderie, sportsmanship and the gritty, hard-core enjoyment of riding with friends. The Epic 8 Hour relay is a personal and team challenge to complete as many laps as possible from 10 am to 6 pm. Many riders prefer the 8 hour format for a solo challenge, but the majority of riders still enjoy the mix of fun, fast riding and the competitive (or not so competitive), social team atmosphere. Whether riding just for fun, or vying for a podium spot in your category, the Epic 8 Hour will be a memorable experience!
Glenn Meeuwisse, Pulse Racing Inc.
Return to Cycling 4 Women homepage | Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


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In speaking to you in my capacity as the Archbishop of Milan and as a member of a local Christian community, I would like to ask some simple questions: How do we celebrate the end of this millennium? How do we find the right way into the future as we confront fear, curiosity and superficiality? What will the new millennium offer us? The curious and fearful might think that we are near the end of our history, so we need to avoid extremes, celebrating not a simple fact of the calendar but the right way to discern the future.
I was told that some years ago the Mayor of New York City asked his fellow citizens how they would like to celebrate the last few hours of December 1999. For this he summoned a "panel of visionaries" who created a list of imperatives: Think big, think international, think gentle, think safe, think futuristic—but think. Like New Yorks Mayor, I have encouraged the people in the Archdiocese of Milan to think, and what I share with you is, in a sense, the result of this thinking, particularly as we meditated on the 1994 letter by Pope John Paul II, entitled Tertio Millennio Adveniente ("As the Third Millennium Approaches").
What is the Holy Spirit saying to us as we celebrate the end of the second millennium and the beginning of the third? What are we to do as a Christian community? What common human concerns do we have with others on this earth? How should we live through this period of grace? It is good to remember that this grace now offered us was not available to previous generations. My reflections on this letter can be encapsulated in the following three questions: 1) Should we think of this millennium, this period of transition, as a jubilee, or should it be considered the apocalypse? 2) What is essential in our celebration? 3) What does our celebration mean for the local church?
In his letter the Pope reminds us that the 2,000 years that have passed since the birth of Jesus the Christ represent an extraordinary jubilee not only for Christians, but indirectly for the whole of humanity:
The 2,000 years which have passed since the birth of Christ prescinding from the question of its precise chronology) represent an extraordinarily great jubilee, not only for Christians but indirectly for the whole of humanity, given the prominent role played by Christianity during these two millennia. It is significant that the calculation of the passing years begins almost everywhere with the year of Christs coming into the world, which is thus the center of the calendar most widely used today. Is this not another sign of the unparalleled effect of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on the history of mankind? (No. 15)
In distinguishing between "millennium" and "jubilee," we should recall that we are celebrating the 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus—a real histolical event—and the proclamation of a jubilee is only a way, an instrument, for celebrating this event. We must never forget the significance of the nativity of Jesus and the consequences it has had for humanity. Our celebration is, first of all, a festival for Christians, since the incarnation of the Son of God became an event that divided history between the time before and the time after—in effect, creating the final phase or stage of history. One could even say it is an ecumenical event for all those who think and believe that Christ is the center of history.
The Pope has insisted that this celebration is one for the whole of humanity. We need to acknowledge, of course, that the counting of the years since the nativity of Jesus is a Christian and Western practice. For Jews the year 2000 shall be the year 5760; for Buddhists, the year 2544; for Muslims, the year 1421. As a footnote, I should add that the chronological measure of 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus is probably incorrect because the new millennium, dated from his nativity, has already started; it began probably three or four years ago. In addition, this millennium should not be celebrated in the year 2000, but in the year 2001, as there was no year zero. But we cannot deny that the advent of the year 2000 in our calendar has a certain magic in itself, a kind of aura for all people.
We Live in a New Era.
Even though millions throughout the world do not accept the central place of Christ, they do recognize, nevertheless, that in a certain way a new time in history began with his birth. In short, everyone on this globe has some relationship to Jesus Christ and the implications of his doctrine—about universal peace, forgiveness, love of enemies, solidarity and love for the poor. In this sense, the Pope lightly says that this is an event that in some way concerns everybody.
Let me now ask a pertinent question: Does this event concern even the Jews? I acknowledge, as the French bishops have recently done, the necessity for Christians to show repentance for any harm caused against Jews by Christians. All of us need to stand firm in the future against any form of anti-Semitism. Our celebration, especially in Europe, is an appropriate time to reaffirm our commitment to the conversion of our ways; we need to promote love, friendship and understanding toward the Jewish people.
But in this spirit, why not hope for a common understanding of the universal significance of Jesus of Nazareth—at least as a great Jewish leader and Jewish prophet, a topic of considerable study by some notable Jewish scholars throughout the world? Our common understanding of Jesus should be fostered, so that Christians and Jews can know one another better and live better lives in the year 2000 and beyond. Let us hope, then, that the millennium may bring us to converse about some aspects of the life of Jesus of Nazareth that we mutually acknowledge.
Whether Christian or Jew, this time of transition provides an occasion for reviewing the past and pausing for a moment in the course of our history. The word "jubilee," a word that comes from the Hebrew Bible, indicates a celebration that had to be held every 50 years. A jubilee provided a social occasion to forgive and put things again in order, especially the redistribution of the land and the liberation of slaves. At least in theory, a jubilee, if any were actually celebrated (the Bible is not specific about this), was a religious event to promote justice and solidarity. In the minds of the Jews a jubilee remains a great social ideal and point of reference, based on the belief that God was the real owner of the land and that, to fight against impoverishment, land had to be distributed. In Christian terminology, jubilees were introduced (again) in the 14th century to mark the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.
A Christian religious celebration based on a supposed Jewish practice has important social implications. As a result, we need to avoid applying the word "jubilee" as a synonym for a big feast, since repentance, acts of solidarity, concern for the poor and conversion ought to energize each and every jubilee. Above all, Christians believe that during a jubilee they are not celebrating what men and women do or have done, but what God has done for humanity, namely brought about the incarnation of his Son.
Understanding the Apocalypse
This brings me to reflect on the word "apocalyptic" and how it relates to the new millennium. We know that turning points in history have been occasions for some to enter into an apocalyptic mode of thinking. Scholars differ among themselves as to what the word "apocalyptic" means, though most agree that in Greek it refers to a type of revelation, as when one removes a veil from an object.
We have at least a general familiarity with apocalyptic, based on our reading of the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. By apocalyptic is meant a kind of uneasiness with the world, a deep dissatisfaction with the present state of things, as well as a hope that things may change suddenly through a great event—not so much a change brought about by the work of human hands, but through a great intervention of some higher forces. Apocalyptic thinkers anticipate something completely new coming from above that will change the course of history, though they are never sure of what or when this change will actually occur. Such revelation is generally thought to be transmitted by some higher being to a prophet, often communicated in a cryptic language that only some people can understand.
Apocalypticism has to do with hope and fear—hope for the future, fear for the end of history. It has to do with the expectation of the beginning of a new era. And our present age is full of apocalyptic predictions, many of them from the founders of different sects who proclaim the end of the world is near, or not far off. It might surprise you, but I sometimes receive dire letters giving me such predictions. Just think of all those preoccupied by speculations about "the third secret of Fatima"! What does it contain? Many claim that it predicts a great catastrophe. And who can totally refute such thinking, when, in addition to the Book of Revelation, examples of apocalyptic language can be found in other parts of the New Testament.
The first two chapters of Lukes Gospel contain a counting of days that recalls the count of years from the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem up to the restoration of the temple. In Jeremiah 25, we are told the restoration will take place 70 years after its destruction. In Daniel 8 and 9, however, the angel Gabriel announces to Daniel that the temple will be restored after 70 weeks of years, that is, after 490 years. If we count the days from Gabriels annunciation to Zechariah, the real beginning of Lukes Gospel, up to the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple, the number of days is exactly 490. This is Lukes cryptic way of saying the same as Daniel did: We are dealing with the end time; but for Luke the days of Jesus are the final days of history. But note, in Lukes Gospel these days are infused with a Spirit of joy, courage and hope, not with the fear and anxiety of most apocalyptic predictions. Everything in these two chapters is full of joy, full of hope.
Christian apocalyptic predictions are not meant, therefore, to provide us with the exact day and the hour of the end of the world. They intend, rather, to affirm that with Jesus we have entered the final stage of history, the age of our salvation. If one were to ask then, are these hours at the end of the millennium the final days of history, we can only answer yes, since, with the coming of Jesus Christ, these are the final days, the days of our salvation.
For some, changing the calendar year from 1999 to 2000 has little religious significance; but for believers such a change signals a desire to renew hope and courage, according to the apocalyptic dimension of the Gospels. We should not expect some big change in human history as we celebrate the new millennium. The year 2001 will not offer significant differences, other than a chance to seek essentials, to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, to regain an awareness of the great and essential change in human history brought forth by the coming of Jesus Christ. Yes, changes will occur, since we live daily in this change; every prayer well uttered is this change; every act of love is this change—all brought about by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The meaning of things has been changed. Every moment, this present moment, brings with it the presence of a new humanity, and we can look at everything in a different way. We can work for justice and love with a certainty that justice and love shall prevail, assured that it is already in the present order of things. In the kingdom of God, the days of forgiveness and love have begun and this order shall be forever. Gods glory shall be revealed day after day.
Praying in Milan
With the coming of salvation in Christ, a new world economy is possible, based, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, not on competition but on concern for all human beings. It is essential at the eve of the new millennium that we live according to these prospects, conveying them to others for the good of all humanity. First, we need to address those who are searching for meaning in life and would like to be helped in the new millennium. We need to bring to them new openings for this meaning. Second, we need especially to help young people find distinctive points of reference for this new quest for meaning. Third, we need to aid the ordinary Christian in looking to the new millennium not with fear and anxiety but with joy and hope.
How can we be of assistance to others in a local community, a local church, a diocese? In Milan, to cite a city where I have tried to implement my vision of Christianity, I have tried to address the needs of Christians and nonbelievers alike. For the last few years, I have invited people belonging to every religion—or even to no religion at all—to gather in our cathedral for sessions we organize periodically throughout the year. My only request is that those who attend be willing to think. Normally between 1,000 and 2,000 participate at each session. I said at the outset, "Let us ask some nonbelievers to tell us why they do not believe and let us listen to them." And I provided what might be called a "chair for nonbelievers," so they could speak to us about their experiences, since I believe that there is inside each one of us, whatever our religion, both a believer and a nonbeliever. (Even a bishop, I must confess, feels at times the interior tugs of belief and non-belief.) Thus, I have asked myself, "Why not give an open voice to this inner struggle by listening also to people who are in search of meaning? Cant I be helped by them to understand what is happening within me?"
In due course, I invited a well-known Marxist philosopher to speak about the implications in his own personal life of not believing in God—and I can tell you, it was a moving experience. Very, very interesting. And after that I invited others—psychiatrists, artists, poets and others—to speak about the searching for a meaning in life, with all the doubts and anxieties that it entails. In inviting these speakers, I was not out to convince anyone of the Christian message, nor to give a sermon or an apologetic exhortation. I simply wanted to provide an environment where each person present could think and reflect on the meaning of his or her life.
At the conclusion to each session, I asked some questions that might have occurred to me: What have we heard this evening? What does it mean? What is the question I have to arrive at in order to think more deeply? How can what I have heard make me more self-sufficient? Has my heart learned something new? In order to vary the sessions, we have had different topics for reflection, such as the silence of God in Jewish history, especially during the Holocaust. I remember well an elderly woman who had been in a concentration camp as a young girl: "I entered the concentration camp," she said, "an atheist. I left it an agnostic, convinced that there was a mystery I could not name. But I felt that there was a mystery about human life." You see, life is a process, a search, an inquiry that helps us to think.
An important Italian psychologist once said to me, "I do not believe in God, but I pray twice a day." "Could you tell me what you pray about?" I asked him. "Why dont you pray just once a day?" I remember, too, a conversation with a Japanese Buddhist monk who prays, even though he does not believe in a personal God. To each, I would ask, "What is your prayer?" They all seemed to say, one way or another, that prayer is something deeper, more interior, than trying to achieve a thematic idea of God. Even though they say they do not believe in God, they pray. I found it very moving to listen to these different forms of witness.
The purpose of these sessions was always the same: to help people think and go into the depths of their consciousness. Because of the large attendance, we had to provide a huge screen so that all could participate to the maximum. I interpreted the numbers coming to each session, not as mass concern for things apocalyptic, but as a serious search for meaning common to many people of different religious denominations—and even to many who do not belong to any religion.
I have tried to vary my approach in allowing people to grow in my presence and in the presence of others. One time a group of young people asked me to explain to them how to pray with the Bible, which I did. Approximately 200 of us stayed up the better part of one evening—I remember we were outdoors on a delightful May night sitting on the grass. I explained something about prayer in the Bible. Some of them asked me to give an example of a practical biblical prayer. I did so. As we continued our sessions, we moved into the cathedral, since our numbers had grown to more than 500, then 1,000, then 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, until each month the cathedral was full.
My method was simple: We began with moments of silence, some singing and praying of psalms, followed by a reading from the New Testament and a short introduction to personal prayer. And then no music—just long periods of silence. It was amazing. This went on each month for five years. One year we prayed the psalms of repentance, focusing on the phrase from Psalm 51, "Lord have mercy on me." Word of what we were doing spread even to the prisons, and one young man who was incarcerated wrote me that after learning how to pray he wanted nothing to do with his former life of terrorism. When the cathedral proved too small for the thousands who attended, we spread out into many diocesan churches—some 70 in all. Even in the dead of winter, when unheated churches are like refrigerators, everyone sits quietly and prays. All are absorbed by listening to Gods words.
Prayer Brings Love and Hope
At the end of this millennium, I have seen Gods words make an opening in the hearts of young people. There is no secret in what we do; we provide a time and a place, as St. Ignatius of Loyola did for those who wished to make a retreat with him, for a person to pray the Bible in silence. Young people want to learn to pray, to have meaning in their lives. In a changing world, what lives inside a person will prove victorious. But it is not easy to reach everyone. As I have said, the end of one millennium and the beginning of a new one invite us not to yearn for predictions but to engage in courageous action.
As a bishop I have also realized that it is possible to give a retreat to many thousands of people by means of radio and television. Last year, in honor of the anniversary of the 16th centennial of the death of St. Ambrose, who was Bishop of Milan, I gave just such a retreat to half a million people. I received many letters of gratitude for this spiritual experience; these letters showed me that God is preparing great things for the millennium to come. Above all, I learned that it is possible to teach thousands and thousands to pray together at the same time.
Let me conclude by emphasizing that we have to prepare for the new millennium with courage and hope. Christ has come among us and remained with us; his presence, the strength of the Holy Spirit, is stronger than ever. During two millennia of the history of sanctity and faith, Jesus, our Lord, has shown that he is the lord of history and shall guide the new millennium with a new explosion of love and hope. Let us be with him as he is with us.


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Judy Sund: "The Essence of Earthiness: Van Gogh's Peasants"
Judy Sund of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York presents: Van Gogh's Peasants: The Essence of Earthiness. Van Gogh's portraits of Patience Escalier, one of which will be on loan to the Frick this fall, were part of his long-term project to capture the essence of the peasant. Inspired by literary descriptions as well as by the art of the past, he was intent on giving definitive form to a well-established type. Abandoning strict accuracy in favor of evocative color and texture, van Gogh aimed to convey a sense of the agrarian laborer's life on the land and to capture something "truer than the literal truth."


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Queen Mary I
1 portrait matching these criteria:
- npg number matching '428'
- Overview
- Tudor and Jacobean Portraits Database
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Tudor and Jacobean Portraits Database
Queen Mary I
by Master John
oil on panel, 1544
28 in. x 20 in. (711 mm x 508 mm)
Key findings: Original dating confirmed. The picture can be linked to the same studio as NPG 4451 on the basis of handling and technique. The use of a pattern has been identified in infrared reflectography and microscopy.
Historical summary
Previously owned by Blanche Brocas (d.1862) of Beaurepaire House, Hants. Sold in the Beaurepaire House sale at Christie's in 1876 and purchased by the Gallery from Henry Graves & Co. in the same year. The Pexalls of Beaurepaire were supportive of Mary while she was princess. Sir Richard Pexall's daughter married Bernard Brocas of Horton, Bucks. The portrait may have been given to the Pexalls or purchased soon after it was painted.
Mary is seen here in 1544 as princess; she was proclaimed queen on the 16 July 1553. The picture may be the portrait paid for in November 1544 and recorded in the Privy Purse expenses of the Lady Mary: 'Item, pd to one John that drue her grace in a table' (Madden, 1831, p.168). The jewel hanging from her necklace may be identical with one of those sent by Henry VIII in 1542: 'A flower wt five great diamonds, ij. Rubies, oon Emerawde, and a great ple pendunte' (Madden, 1831, p.176).
Notes on likely authorship
The artist 'John', mentioned in the expenses of Lady Mary (above), cannot be formally identified although he has been identified with the title 'Master John' (active 1544-1545). He may have been the same goldsmith who witnessed Holbein's will in 1543, who perhaps worked in the master's studio and painted in his style (The Dictionary of Art, 1996, p.610). The formula seems Holbeinesque, although the flatter painting style and the handling and technique indicate a native English painter. It was once attributed to Joannes Corvus (d.1546) but this attribution can no longer be supported.
Commentary on painting style, technique
The materials and style can be compared with NPG 4451 Katherine Parr, particularly the use of expensive and sumptuous materials. Also, the painting of the hair and costume is very similar in both portraits. In certain areas of the patterned bodice, a thin layer of white was painted after the gold leaf and glazes, in order to block in some of the decorative elements. Pink horizontal stripes (composed of madder and lead white) were then carefully painted over the thin white layer, before the final white loop threads with silver leaf were added. The silver leaf is now heavily abraded and these small loop threads now show only remnants of silver leaf. This is a technique which very closely relates to that identified in the portrait of Katherine Parr.
Justification for dating
The painting is inscribed on either side of Mary's head and dated: 'ANNO DNI.1544 LADI MARI DOVGHTER TO THE MOST VERTVOVS PRINCE KINGE HENRI THE EIGHT THE AGE OF XXVIII YERES'. The date of 1544 is entirely consistent with the technique and materials used in the work. The inscription has been confirmed as an original part of the picture.
Dendochronology has indicated that the panel derives from a tree which is unlikely to have been felled before 1531.
Drawing and transfer technique
The black underdrawing is highly visible in many areas, including the eyes, nose and along the edge of the red sleeve on the right arm. The drawing along the outline of the shoulder and sleeve on the left seems to be made by pouncing, which is also seen in the pearls in the headdress.
A small number of changes to the final composition made during the painting stage are evident from x-ray and infrared analysis: the outer edges of the red lower part of the sleeves have been widened a little on the sleeve on the right and more on the sleeve on the left.
Relevance to other known versions
No other contemporary versions are known.
Several later copies exist including:
- a version by Sir Frederick Ponscriby, Collection of Mrs J Laidlow, Salem, Oregon, USA
- a version after Master John, sold Christie's 6 Sep 2001
- a version called Queen Mary Tudor, attributed to Antonis Mor, property of Mr Winston F.C. Guest (Sotheby's 8 Dec 1965, lot 64)
The Dictionary of Art, 1996, vol. 17, p.610
Exhibition Illustrative of Early English Portraiture, Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1909, p.45
Carter, Alison, 'Mary Tudor's Wardrobe', Costume, vol. 18, 1984, pp.9-28
Cooper, Tarnya, A Guide to Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 2008, p.45
Drey, Elizabeth Ann, 'The Portraits of Mary I, Queen of England', MA report, Courtauld Institute, 1990
Hearn, Karen, ed., Dynasties: Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530-1630, Tate Gallery, 1995, pp.47-8
Madden, Frederic, Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, 1831
Marshall, Rosalind, Mary I, 1993
Strong, Roy, The English Icon: Elizabethan and Jacobean Portraiture, p.76 (No.12)
Strong, Roy, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 1969, pp.208-213
Strong, Roy, The Elizabethan Image: Painting in England 1540- 1620, Tate Gallery, 1969-70, pp.21, (No.27)
Compare Images (what's this? )
Compare high-resolution images against the painting - mainly x-ray and infra-red photography images, but sometimes UV or raking light images - side by side with the ability to zoom in on details.
The panel is backed with balsa wood and wax/resin, which is covered with canvas. There are serious old splits and cracks in the wood. There is a long history of paint flaking and paint consolidation. There are also raised cracks in some areas, probably with blind cleavage. The portrait has undergone extensive restoration, with fills and inpaints, which are rather broadly applied and clearly visible, but have not discoloured. There are large areas of restored paint and ground losses particularly in the costume in the lower left quadrant, in the flesh paint (especially the hands), down the panel join, and in the lettering at the upper left. There is much abrasion in the blue background, covered in places by dark residues of old overpaint and opaque light areas of mismatched more recent restoration. The varnish is clear and has not discoloured. It has a semi-matt and uneven surface. There is considerable restoration over the wear in the background and in the areas of paint and ground losses. This is broadly executed and a little mismatched but reasonably acceptable visually. Crack lines are drawn in with pencil in the flesh paint on the shoulder on the left. The gilding has been restored in the sleeve on the right, the upper part of the bodice, and a little in the sleeve on the left.
Number of boards: 2
Panel Orientation: Vertical
Panel condition observations
The condition of the panel is poor. Both boards have been thinned heavily and backed with a modern balsa support, with thin strips of modern oak screwed into all four edges of the balsa wood. During examination, one of the pieces of oak was unscrewed and removed, revealing that the original board edges are in particularly poor condition.
Dendrochronology (what's this? )
An examination of tree rings, which can help to provide the earliest possible felling dates for the wood used for the panel. The technique can also indicate the geographical origin of the wood.
Number of boards: 2
Last date of tree ring: 1523
The board edges of this two board panel are in particularly poor condition, making analysis difficult, however both contained sufficient tree rings for analysis. The last tree ring identified (found in board A) was dated to 1523. No sapwood was present on either board so a terminus post quem date can be applied. Adding the minimum expected number of sapwood rings suggested the tree used for board A was felled after 1531. As the two boards are from the same tree (see X-ray), no analysis on board B was necessary.
X-radiography (what's this? )
A technique used to identify changes in composition beneath the surface of the paint layers and to understand the physical structure of a panel or canvas.
X-ray examination showed that the two boards of the panel are derived from the same tree: the wood grain in the x-ray images can be overlaid to yield an almost perfect match.
The x-ray shows the extensive damages and loss which have been overpainted (as noted in Ultra violet, and Conservation history) (see X-ray mosaic 01).
The broad brushstrokes of the priming layer can be seen in x-ray.
The red sleeves are very dark in the x-ray image (i.e. transparent to the x-rays), which supports the observation of layers of madder glaze directly over the pale priming (see Surface examination). This could be the reason that the changes to the outlines of the red sleeves do not show up clearly in the x-ray.
The screws holding the battens to the edges can be seen clearly in the x-ray image, and there are some possible remnants of old nails/fittings embedded in the wood.
Infrared reflectography (what's this? )
A technique used to observe the layers beneath the paint surface which can reveal underdrawing and changes to the initial design.
Infrared reflectography showed drawing along the outline of the shoulder and sleeve on the left, with pouncing (see IRR mosaic 02 and DIRR 01). This was also seen round the pearls in the headdress (see IRR mosaic 01).
Underdrawing is visible along the original edges of the lower sleeves (see also Surface examination and X-ray).
Paint sampling (what's this? )
Investigation into microscopic pigment samples or samples of other media in order to help with dating, to reveal the order of the paint layers and help to understand the painting techniques used.
Sheldon re-examined Hassall's samples. Paint samples were taken and analysed by Libby Sheldon in July 2007. This supported and added to sampling observations from reports by Catherine Hassall in 1997, and Joyce Plesters in 1975.
Preparation layers
All Sheldon's samples had a trace of white ground, and her findings supported the suggestions from 1997 and 1975 of a chalk ground.
One of Libby Sheldon's samples contained what could be a thin pale priming layer, but nothing conclusive. No priming was found in 1997 or 1975. There is no blue priming layer as was found on the portrait of Catherine Parr (NPG 4451).
A sample taken (1997) from the line of the original edge of the sleeve on the left shows a very dark layer over the preparation layers and under the red paint. It was concluded that this is charcoal underdrawing, and this was supported by Libby Sheldon in 2007.
Gilding on the dress
Hassall found this to have a mordant layer of yellow ochre and lead white under the gold leaf (see also Surface examination). Over the gold leaf is a layer of red lake also containing some vermilion and carbon black. Hassall concluded that the presence of lead white suggests that the ochre/white mixture is an oil paint layer, making oil gilding the most likely technique.
A similar ochre/white mordant is used under the gold on the headdress.
Decoration on dress
Sample 5 taken by Hassall from one of the loop stitches shows the ground and mordant layer under the gold leaf, then over the gold a thin layer of lead white, a pink layer made up of madder and lead white, and finally the white layer of the stitches. No silver leaf (see Surface examination) was seen in the cross-section. Both the white layers also contain carbon black of plant origin, which has the effect of giving the white a cool, bluish tone.
Red sleeves
Hassall found that there are two layers of red paint over the ground in the wide sleeves: the lower layer contains red lake, vermilion and black (as seen over the gilded dress), and the upper layer is pure red lake. Sheldon sampled the wide grey cuff in the lower left, and found that these two layers are present under the cuff. The upper layer was identified as madder by its bright orange fluorescence in ultra violet light. The red lines on the bodice were found to be the same red lake as used in the sleeves (2007 analysis).
Flesh paint
The flesh paint is made up of lead white and vermilion (Hassall, 1997). The shadow between the fingers was found to be red lake with carbon black and a little blue (Sheldon, 2007).
Orange tassel
Sheldon sampled a tassel from the lower right, which was found to be made up of an aggregate of fine particles.
Samples were taken from the background in 2007, 1997 and 1975.
Hassell's samples found a layer of azurite and white (over the chalk ground), and then an upper layer containing azurite. The azurite is of very good quality, with large particles. Libby Sheldon confirmed the use of azurite (in the background and scattered in the shadows of the blue/grey sleeve), and also found particles of malachite in the background. It is possible that the source of azurite for this painting was one which had an unusually high proportion of malachite amongst the blue azurite. A similarly high proportion of malachite was seen in background of the portrait of Catherine Parr (NPG 4451).
Samples taken by Plesters, through the inscription, found a layer of azurite over the chalk ground, and over this an orange/brown bole made up of red/brown ochre and some vermilion, in oil. On top of this is the gold leaf of the lettering. Plesters noted that the gold leaf would probably have been applied to the bole while it was still tacky.
Surface examination (what's this? )
An examination of the construction of paint layers, glazes and condition often using a microscope. This method provides important evidence concerning an artist's technique and paint handling and can reveal a specific artist's characteristic painting style.
Painting style and method
The materials and style can be compared with Katherine Parr (NPG 4451), with the use of expensive and sumptuous materials.
See reports by Jenny Archbold and Catherine Hassall.
Paint layer structure
The ground is composed of a single layer of white chalk (see Paint sampling).
It is not clear with surface examination whether there is a priming layer, but the broad brushstrokes of a thin lead based priming layer can be seen in x-ray and a separate thin pale layer was found in one sample (see Paint sampling).
Underdrawing is clearly visible with both the naked eye and the microscope in many areas, including the eyes, nose and along the edge of the red sleeve on the left. In the face, the drawing might have been deliberately utilised to delineate the features and create variations in tone and shadow. This has no doubt been emphasised by the increase, with time, in translucency of the oil paint. A sample taken from one of the strong black outlines on the sleeve on the left (see micro 03) by Hassall in 1997 indicated the drawing might be in charcoal (see Paint sampling).
Flesh and hair
The eyes, nose and shadow under the line of the chin (see micro 20) were painted with very smooth, blended brushstrokes, applied wet-in-wet, and azurite can be seen in the whites of the eyes (see micro 10 and micro 11). The painting of the hair is very similar to that seen in the portrait of Katherine Parr (NPG 4451) (see micro 12 and micro 13). It was applied in very fine, smoothly blended brushstrokes, with pale highlights added.
Red lower sleeves
Layers of red glaze were used to create the colour of the crimson fabric (see Paint sampling - Hassall), The white priming can be seen beneath the glazes, and in some areas has a slightly 'crazed' appearance.
During the painting stage the outer edges of the red sleeves were extended (see below).
A number of flecks of gold leaf were noted beneath the red glaze (see micro 19). It was thought that these might indicate that these sections also had metal leaf below the paint, as in the bodice, but on close inspection it was found that these specks are probably remnants of the gold from the edges of the bodice, accidentally brushed into the sleeve areas during the painting process.
Dress embroidery
After the gold leaf and glazes, in certain areas of the patterned bodice, a thin layer of white was painted in order to block in some of the decorative elements. Pink horizontal stripes were then carefully painted over the thin white layer, before the final white loop threads were added (see also Paint sampling). Silver leaf was then applied to some or all of the small loop thread details, but this is now heavily abraded, and the loop threads now show only remnants of silver leaf (see micro 01). This technique very closely relates to that identified in the portrait of Katherine Parr (NPG 4451).
A very rich green pigment (possibly verdigris) can be seen in the green gem of the ring.
Gilding - dress, headdress and jewels
Areas left for the embroidered bodice and upper sleeves, the headdress and the red gems in the brooch, pendant and aglets were prepared with gold leaf laid over an undercoat of yellow ochre and white. The gold leaf in the bodice overlaps with subsequent paint layers in the adjacent sleeves and flesh paint (see micro 04). The gold of the bodice, upper sleeves and headdress then had an orange/red glaze applied over it. Further layers of glaze were also used to increase the richness of tone and shadow (see micro 02). Examination of the painting through a microscope showed a yellowish glaze (or varnish) over the uncovered parts of the gold.
The rubies at the upper edge of the headdress, and the edging adjacent to the hair were originally mordant gilded (gold leaf over an ochre-coloured mordant). Although now abraded, some fragments remain (see micro 14).
The original blue (azurite and some malachite - see Paint sampling) of the background (now much abraded and restored - see Conservation history) is very thin and it can be seen that the paint layer was originally thicker: examination of the edges of the lettering shows that the blue paint layer beneath the letters is thicker than in the surrounding abraded background (see micro 06). It seems that overpaint (containing the nineteenth century pigment Viridian) applied to the already abraded background, was removed by scraping - small scrape marks can be seen over much of the surface - although some fragments remain (see micro 08). This scraping probably also thinned the original paint. Discolouration of the original blue background medium, making it become greenish, could explain the use of green for the nineteenth century overpaint. The original background appears blue now because the top surface has been scraped off when the overpaint was removed.
The gilding of the inscription is underpainted with a mixture of red/brown ochre with a few particles of vermilion. The gold was applied to this when it was still tacky (see 1975 report by Joyce Plesters - National Gallery). The gold leaf is now heavily abraded.
Order of construction
- White ground
- Thin pale priming layer
- Underdrawing in carbon black - appears to be charcoal
- Pale blue underlayer beneath background (composed of lead white and azurite - see Hassall's report)
- Gold leaf under bodice, headdress, upper sleeves and jewels (see above)
- Red glaze on bodice, upper sleeves, headdress and jewels (see above)
- Details of the decorative pattern on bodice as described above - paint and silver leaf
- Red lake sleeves (micro 03 and micro 04)
- Flesh paint (micro 20)
- Jewellery (see micro 16, micro 17 and micro 18)
- White cuffs, with red lake detail and slight impasto in white paint to give the impression of textured fabric (see micro 05 and micro 16)
- Hair (micro 12 and micro 13)
- Headdress
- Pearls on headdress
- Background - applied over the pale blue underlayer (see above)
- Lettering over the blue background, with an orange/brown underpaint for the gilding (see above)
- Final strokes of hair paint over the background (micro 13)
Lead white, charcoal black, plant black, azurite with some malachite, vermilion, red lake (madder), earth pigments, verdigris, yellow ochre, silver leaf, gold leaf
Changes to composition/pentimenti
The outer edges of the red lower sleeves were widened, a little on the sleeve on the right and more on the sleeve on the left. Underdrawing can be seen along the original edges of the red sleeves, both with surface examination and with infrared reflectography (see Infrared reflectography and X-ray).
The dark grey edging threads along the top of the bodice appear to be entirely non-original (see micro 15). Fragments of black paint beneath the dark grey are probably remnants of the original edging threads, although this is not certain.
Other observations
Lead soaps can be seen in the white.
Many random particles of azurite can be seen in the white parts of the costume.
Ultra violet examination (what's this? )
A method which helps to reveal past restoration and the extent of varnish layers.
Under ultra violet light, the extensive restorations noted in the Conservation history can be seen as dark areas, over the varnish. Large sections of the shoulder on the left and arm have been almost entirely overpainted, as have the areas around the eye on the left and the central join/split. Very many dark dots of retouching are visible in the background.